Kelsey Plum might be an Unrivaled rookie, but she’s well versed in 3-on-3 basketball. That experience was on full display Monday night in the Phantom’s win over Breanna Stewart and the Mist.

‘I feel like I’m a rookie and a vet at the same time,’ said Plum, an eight-year WNBA veteran that won Olympic gold with Team USA’s 3×3 women’s basketball team in Tokyo in 2020.

One game removed from recording 38 points, 11 assists and eight points, Plum pulled out some more heroics and knocked down a game-winning jumper to lift Phantom BC over Mist BC, 64-61. Plum finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the win. Kiki Iriafen had a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds, while Aliyah Boston added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Plum was set to participate in the inaugural 2025 Unrivaled season, but she ultimately withdrew because it ‘wasn’t the right time for me personally,’ Plum said. ‘I got the opportunity to say yes this year and I’m super excited about it.’

She’s made the most of her opportunity. Plum is averaging 22.7 points, the fifth most in the league through three games. Plum is also top 5 in the league in assists (5.7), three-pointers made (2.7) and game-winners (1). Phantom BC improved to 2-1 with the win.

Laces keep Lunar Owls winless

Meanwhile, the Lunar Owls (0-3) are still looking for their first win of the season. Aaliyah Edwards (38) and Marina Mabrey (26) combined for 64 of the Lunar Owls’ 72 points, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Laces. The injury-riddled Lunar Owls lost to the Laces, 84-72, on Monday evening.

Brittney Sykes led the way for the Laces with 25 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Sykes was one of five Laces players to score double digits: Jackie Young (22 points), Maddy Siegrist (13 points), Alyssa Thomas (10 points) and Jordin Canada (10 points).

The Lunar Owls were without Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier (ankles) and Skylar Diggins (right lower extremity), who hasn’t played yet this season. Mabrey (27 points) and Edwards (24.7 points) have been a bright spot for the winless Lunar Owls. The duo is ranked second and third in the league in points, respectively.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

PHILADELPHIA – The title defense of the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles died Sunday, much like another Jalen Hurts pass on a blustery and dark South Philly night.

Yet even if that outcome didn’t necessarily seem like an inevitable conclusion, a mandate for this team to shine a spotlight on its issues was always going to be unavoidable.

“Anytime you lose − anytime you don’t perform the way you want to as coaches and players − yeah, you’re frustrated,” head coach Nick Sirianni said following his team’s 23-19 ouster by the San Francisco 49ers.

“What I said to the guys is, ‘Adversity shapes you to who you are if you allow it to.’ There’s a lot to be thankful for, but you’ve got to use this adversity to shape you and that’s for everybody in that locker room: myself, the coaches, the players. Let the pain shape you to what you want to be, and we will use this like we used it at the end of ’22, ’23 because all that was necessary for ’24.

“We’ll see what the future holds.”

First, a word on the recent past.

Whatever you might think of Sirianni – and he can be overtly brash, especially on game days – he’s also calculating, plugged into his team and highly respected and generally loved by his players. The Eagles have made the playoffs in all five of his seasons, reaching Super Bowls 57 and 59. Sunday’s defeat was Sirianni’s first at home in the postseason after a 5-0 start. His team is obviously talented and brilliantly constructed. He’s a coach almost any organization would – or certainly should – covet.

Yet he’s aware a reckoning is at hand, similar to the 2023 campaign’s aftermath – when the Eagles lost six of their final seven games following a 10-1 start. (However I’ve talked to enough players who don’t feel like the 2025 team’s “failure” was analogous to the ’23 squad’s collapse.)

So what are the next steps? Here are six suggestions the Eagles should consider if they want to return to the Super Sunday stage and chase a third Lombardi Trophy sooner than later:

1. Find a veteran offensive coordinator

Not a hot take, but one that’s been out of the oven for months − swirling about embattled play-caller Kevin Patullo, a lightning rod for fans and the unsparing ecosystem that is the City of Brotherly Love. His likely demise was again a popular line of questioning Sunday night – to the point where the team’s public relations staff tried to shut it down in the locker room at one point.

“I think it’s tough to single out one individual, especially in a moment like this. We all got to improve and that’s how I look at everything that we go through,” said Hurts.

It’s typical for players to defend their coaches and vice versa. But the numbers speak for themselves. A star-studded attack ranked 24th overall in 2025 and 19th in points scored after being in the top 10 in both categories the previous season, when the Eagles were at their best in the playoffs. The Eagles averaged 36.3 points and 361 yards in four postseason games last year. Aside from their 19 points against the Niners, they had 307 yards. Overall, Philly averaged 5.2 yards per play this season, nearly a half-yard fewer year over year. Equally concerning was the significantly reduced production of players like Hurts, tailback Saquon Barkley − he ran for the most yards ever in a season (regular and postseason combined) in 2024 − and wideout A.J. Brown.

Philly endured a similar falloff in 2023, internally promoted coordinator Brian Johnson failing to meet the bar future Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen set in 2022. Patullo, Philly’s passing game coordinator the previous four seasons, ran into a comparable challenge after predecessor Kellen Moore took the New Orleans Saints’ head job after Super Bowl 59.

Sirianni has to find the right fit for his roster’s talent – recently fired Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, for example, probably isn’t the appropriate choice given his schemes and philosophy – if the unit is to revert to being more than the sum of its expensive parts.

“There will be time to evaluate everybody’s performance,” said Sirianni.

“Right now, I feel for all our guys in the locker room, all the players, all the coaches, the front office, everybody that works so hard, the fans that come out and support us, Mr. (owner Jeffrey) Lurie. I feel for all of us, all of them, and there’ll be time to evaluate everything coming up.”

2. Maximize Jalen Hurts’ talents

It’s a corollary to Step 1, but whoever’s designing the offense in 2026 must resource Hurts more effectively. He typically plays his best in big games, has off-the-charts intangibles and doesn’t seem to feel pressure – at least the figurative variety.

But Sunday night was a reminder that Hurts, who led one fourth-quarter comeback all season, is generally much more effective playing from ahead − and he’s quite capable of building a lead. Utilizing his running back-adjacent skills is one way to accomplish that – not only because he’s such an effective runner, but the threat of him bolting the pocket for chunks of real estate is a good idea on merit and restricts how much attention a defense can devote to players like Barkley and Brown … to say nothing of the larger downfield passing windows it opens for the sometimes scattershot distributor.

Yet Hurts’ 105 carries this season were essentially two-thirds of his typical run-game utilization from the previous three seasons. His eight TD runs were his fewest since his 2020 rookie year, when he started four games.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t create enough explosives,” Sirianni said, an assessment of the loss to San Francisco – though also a microcosm of the season.

“They made more plays than we did. They coached better than we did, and that’s why they won.”

Hurts, the Super Bowl 59 MVP, is never going to be the next Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes from a holistic standpoint. Also, he doesn’t need to be if the Eagles can revert to patterning an approach that allows him to do what he does best and not tie one arm (or leg, as the case may be) behind his back.

3. Let A.J. Brown go

A team captain, he’s obviously a respected locker room figure. Sirianni likes him, too, though couldn’t resist barking at him on the sideline Sunday. And, when things are going well, Brown is one of the most dominant receivers in the league – certainly not an easily replaceable or dispensable asset.

Brown was also a perpetual distraction this season – to the point that Lurie had to tell him to shut up in November after Brown’s fusillade of complaints, essentially constant dissatisfaction with his production. (Notably, the Eagles were 2-3 when Brown had 100 or more receiving yards this season, and 6-2 when he had fewer than 50.) He also had a crucial drop against the 49ers, finishing with three catches for 25 yards – and on a night when Philly most definitely needed more from him.

Brown has $29 million coming to him in 2026, the final guarantees on a contract that will run through the 2029 season. That means, from a salary cap perspective, it would be tough to trade him – particularly before June 1 – as a deal would essentially wipe out GM Howie Roseman’s current $20 million surplus, per Over The Cap, for his free-agent budget. Yet running it back with Brown doesn’t seem sustainable anymore. Send him to New England for a reunion with his first NFL coach, Mike Vrabel, and recoup what should be a sizable return for a guy who’s unquestionably elite from a football perspective.

4. Replenish the offensive line

No one has to twist Roseman’s arm to pick young blockers in the draft. Yet he also hasn’t taken one in the first two rounds since 2022, when C Cam Jurgens arrived late in Round 2. RT Lane Johnson, who deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer upon retirement, is going to be 36 this spring. His absence this season was notable, a bum foot preventing him from playing Sunday as injuries limited him to 10 starts, his fewest since 2020. The unit at large also missed Mekhi Becton, who was a revelation at right guard in 2024 – his lone season in Philly – before the Los Angeles Chargers scooped him up with a big offer in free agency. If nothing else, more quality, young depth seems like a prerequisite here.

5. Plan for life without the ‘Tush Push’

This is a corollary to Step 4. But not only were the Eagles less effective at running their once-automatic signature play, LT Jordan Mailata told me a few weeks ago the team doesn’t even expect it will remain legal in 2026 after NFL owners granted it a stay of execution last spring. Maybe that’s ultimately for the best. It’s a physically demanding tactic and one that seemed to suffer without Becton and Johnson collapsing the left side of a defensive front. Given Hurts’ strength as a runner – to say nothing of Barkley’s presence or the creative deployment of highly effective TE Dallas Goedert this season – the Eagles should be fine in short-yardage situations regardless. Still, Sirianni and Co. may have to adjust their philosophical thinking given the push play so often gave Philly the luxury of choosing among a wide array of options on third-and-short ahead of a near-inevitable conversion on fourth down.

6. Address typical offseason considerations

As noted, Roseman currently has $20 million to play with and must assess whether or not to re-sign Goedert, LB Nakobe Dean and/or S Reed Blankenship. OLB Jaelan Phillips, a midseason trade deadline acquisition, will likely be too expensive to retain, even for master capologist like Roseman. And while Phillips did come at the price of a third-round pick, Roseman had one to burn after obtaining a Round 3 choice in 2024 for OLB Haason Reddick in what turned out to be a fleecing of the New York Jets. Defensive line depth is becoming an intermediate concern with Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo heading into a contract year.

It’s certainly a lot to address, but the Eagles know they need to take their medicine – and few organizations are as adroit as adapting on the fly (or laying the groundwork to do so) as expertly as Roseman does.

“(A)t the end of the day, there were a lot of elements (when) you end up with a loss, and we haven’t had this feeling of ending our season since 2023 with the loss,” said Sirianni.

“That’s why it hurts because it’s been a while. But yeah, at the end of the day, we need to find ways to be more explosive.”

Time to light that fuse.

Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour this year, and there’s a deadline if other prominent LIV Golf members want to take advantage of the quicker-than-expected path he’s using to get back there.

It was created in response to Koepka applying for reinstatement to the PGA Tour, as well as research that showed fans wanted to see the best golfers competing together more often. Koepka is eligible for the PGA Tour again through his 2023 PGA Championship win, though the new program also includes a steep financial penalty.

Returning players will not receive any payment from the FedExCup bonus program for the 2026 season and will be ineligible to earn equity from the player equity program for the next five years (2026-2030). Koepka could miss out on approximately $50-85 million in potential equity earnings, according to the PGA Tour, depending on his competitive performance and the Tour’s growth. He also agreed to make a $5 million charitable contribution to an agreed-upon organization.

Koepka will still have to play his way into the lucrative signature events on the PGA Tour schedule. He is ineligible for sponsor exemptions into those fields. Other tournament fields will be expanded to accommodate Koepka’s presence in order to ensure PGA Tour golfers don’t lose a spot this season due to his return.

‘The penalty is significant but I understand why they’ve done it. It hurts but it’s supposed to,’ Koepka told Golfweek. ‘I’ve got a lot of work to do with the players and I want to do that one-on-one. I want to have those conversations, but behind closed doors.’

Koepka announced he was forgoing the final year on his contract with LIV Golf on Dec. 23 and left ‘amicably,’ according to LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil. Koepka was the first golfer to win a major while playing for LIV Golf at the 2023 PGA Championship.

There are three other LIV Golf members eligible to return to the PGA Tour based on the criteria of the Returning Member Program: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith. The PGA Tour said those golfers have until Feb. 2 to accept the terms of the program and still be eligible to participate in the 2026 season. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp emphasized, however, that this alternative route won’t necessarily exist in the future.

‘This is a one-time, defined window and does not set a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again,’ Rolapp wrote in a letter to fans. ‘We will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger. This is part of our commitment to fans, who expect the world’s best players to compete on the PGA Tour week in and week out.’

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman will not face charges from an incident between him and a high school wrestling coach from Jan. 3 after video evidence refuted the claim.

‘On January 3, 2026, officers with the Mishawaka Police Department responded to a complaint of a battery that occurred at a high-school wrestling tournament hosted at Mishawaka High School involving Marcus Freeman,’ a statement from the St. Joseph County’s Prosecutor’s Office read. ‘The incident occurred at the exit doors to the gymnasium and was captured on video surveillance. Numerous witnesses were interviewed by police. That investigation was thereafter tendered to this office.

‘After reviewing the Mishawaka Police Department’s investigation into this incident, the Prosecutor’s Office has determined that no criminal battery occurred. As such, no criminal charges will be filed against Mr. Freeman.’

The Prosecutor’s Office also issued a statement Jan. 12 offering context on the situation. Freeman and Fleeger were both at the Al Smith Wrestling Invitational, where Freeman’s son, Vinny, was competing. Vinny lost a match before being escorted out of the gym by Freeman and Penn High School coach Brad Harper. It was then Fleeger began allegedly exchanging words with the group.

Fleeger claimed there was physical contact between he and Freeman as Freeman walked through a doorway into a nearby hallway. The South Bend Tribune, which was covering the event, said they didn’t see the altercation, but later saw Freeman’s wife, Joanna Freeman, trading shouts with Fleeger.

‘The Complainant, an assistant wrestling coach at a local high school, advised responding officers that he was approached by a person who said something he could not recall,’ the statement read. ‘The Complainant stated that the person then gave him a ‘two-handed push.’ He further stated that he had ‘no clue’ what motivated the push.

‘The Complainant stated that he learned from someone else that the person who shoved him was Marcus Freeman. Mr. Freeman had left the high school before officers were able to speak with him.’

Two acquaintances of Fleeger said that Freeman put his hands on him, but video evidence denied the accusation, according to the South Bend Tribune. The surveillance footage can be seen here:

‘The video does not support the claim that Mr. Freeman gave the Complainant a ‘two handed push’ nor that the Complainant stumbled backwards after the incident as originally alleged by the Complainant and his acquaintances,’ the news release read.

Freeman has a 43-12 record in four full seasons as Notre Dame’s head coach. He led the Fighting Irish to a 10-2 regular-season finish this season, narrowly missing out on a College Football Playoff bid.

Notre Dame released a statement on the matter Jan. 11, noting Freeman was ‘verbally accosted’ by a local wrestling coach, likely referring to Fleeger.

‘Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach,’ the statement read Jan. 11. ‘Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are unfounded.’

The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed on a moratorium for league business, the league confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday, Jan. 12.

The WNBA collective bargaining agreement expired on Friday, Jan. 9, and the league and players’ union have entered into a status quo period. Player benefits continue at this time, but a lockout or strike can be declared without notice.Because the current CBA is still under affect, the WNBA had an obligation to allow clubs to send qualifying offers under the agreement because of U.S. labor law. According a person with knowledge of the situation, GMs and executives from every franchise were called by the WNBA to let them know the status quo period would allow for qualifying offers to free agents beginning on Jan. 11. Any offer would be under the old CBA, so it would have been purely procedural to stay in line with labor laws.

Late Friday, the WNBPA asked for the moratorium on league business and it was accepted by the league on Monday afternoon. It applies to free agency, including qualifying offers, core designations, signings and negotiations. When a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified, the moratorium will cease. 

The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, and that will certainly alter the balance of power within the league.

But, right now, teams appear to be mostly in holding patterns, though we already saw the Hawks and Wizards make a deal by swapping Trae Young for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. More trades are sure to follow, but look for teams who are expected to compete to leverage any assets they may have to make up for weaknesses on the roster.

One team worth watching is the Houston Rockets, who have lost three consecutive games and who have been called out for their effort and toughness. They are this week’s biggest fallers.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 11 of the 2025-26 regular season:

USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings

Note: Records and stats through Jan. 11. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings.

NBA Week 12 power rankings: Top 10

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 33-7 (—)

2. Detroit Pistons, 28-10 (—)

3. San Antonio Spurs, 27-12 (—)

4. Denver Nuggets, 26-13 (+1)

5. Boston Celtics, 24-14 (-1)

6. New York Knicks, 23-12 (—)

7. Minnesota Timberwolves, 26-14 (—)

8. Phoenix Suns, 24-15 (+2)

9. Toronto Raptors, 24-16 (+2)

10. Los Angeles Lakers, 23-13 (-2)

The Thunder aren’t all the way back to their previous levels of dominance from the beginning of the season, but Oklahoma City has course corrected on a three-game winning streak. The big movers are the Suns, who have the NBA’s third best defensive rating (102.9) over the last six games, which include wins over teams like the Knicks and Thunder.

And the Nuggets are in an interesting spot: star Nikola Jokić remains sidelined with a knee injury and Denver is still banged up. Some recent losses have pushed the Nuggets a touch down the West, but Aaron Gordon is back, Christian Braun is nearing a return and Denver has shown it remains an incredibly tough team to beat, even in the face of these injuries.

NBA Week 12 power rankings: Nos. 11-20

11. Philadelphia 76ers, 21-16 (+1)

12. Orlando Magic, 22-18 (+2)

13. Cleveland Cavaliers, 22-18 (+2)

14. Atlanta Hawks, 20-21 (+6)

15. Houston Rockets, 21-11 (-6)

16. Golden State Warriors, 21-19 (—)

17. Miami Heat, 20-19 (-4)

18. Portland Trail Blazers, 19-21 (+1)

19. Milwaukee Bucks, 17-22 (-1)

20. Chicago Bulls, 17-18 (-3)

Philadelphia continues its quiet march toward contention in the East, and the Sixers are particularly dangerous when all three of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George play. The Hawks, on a three-game winning streak, have more stability and direction after the Trae Young trade. Atlanta was playing better without him, anyway, highlighted by an improved defense.

The Heat are on a three-game losing streak and their offense has lost its momentum. The struggles of captain Bam Adebayo, who’s averaging just 10.9 points per game over his last eight, are a big reason why. But it’s the Rockets, losers of three in a row, who are this week’s biggest sliders. Houston’s skid has come against the Trail Blazers (twice) and the Kings, and coach Ime Udoka has challenged his team’s effort and toughness.

NBA Week 12 power rankings: Nos. 21-30

21. Los Angeles Clippers, 15-23 (—)

22. Memphis Grizzlies, 17-22 (—)

23. Charlotte Hornets, 14-25 (+2)

24. Utah Jazz, 13-25 (-2)

25. Dallas Mavericks, 14-25 (-2)

26. Washington Wizards, 10-28 (+1)

27. Brooklyn Nets, 11-25 (-1)

28. Indiana Pacers, 8-31 (+2)

29. Sacramento Kings, 9-30 (—)

30. New Orleans Pelicans, 9-32 (-2)

The Clippers are starting to make their push up the standings, but they still have a long way to go. Kawhi Leonard is on a heater and James Harden is playing better, but the biggest thing is L.A. is limiting turnovers; after starting the season committing 15.6 turnovers in November, the Clippers have averaged just 13.0 turnovers per game over their last 10, tied for best in the NBA.

The Pacers climb out of the cellar after consecutive wins over the Hornets and Heat.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been suspended for one game without pay after picking up too many flagrant fouls under the NBA’s points system, the league office announced on Monday, Jan. 12.

Gobert entered Sunday’s game between the Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs with five flagrant foul points and then was charged with a flagrant foul 1 with 7:24 remaining in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s 104-103 win. The call occurred after Gobert was charged with not giving Victor Wembanyama enough space in his landing zone on a 3-point attempt.

If a player at five or six flagrant foul points commits a flagrant 1 foul during a game, he is required to serve an automatic one-game suspension under NBA rules. Gobert, who now has six flagrant foul points, will miss the Timberwolves’ road game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Jan. 13 as a result of this latest flagrant foul.

Gobert will receive a suspension for each additional flagrant foul he commits the rest of the season. If he’s charged with a flagrant 2 foul, he would have to serve a two-game suspension. If he commits another flagrant 1 foul, it would only be a one-game suspension the first time. However, once a player with seven or more flagrant foul points commits another flagrant foul of either variety, he must serve a two-game suspension.

Gobert, 33, is averaging 11 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in his 13th NBA season. He is shooting a team-best 71.7% from the floor. He finished Sunday’s game with two points and 14 rebounds and did not play much in crunch time after the flagrant foul happened.

“It’s tough, because I try to be contesting shots in the heat of the moment,” Gobert said, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I don’t think there’s at any time an intention of getting anybody hurt or putting people in dangerous situations. It’s tough. But got to play through it.”

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Michigan’s reign atop the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll is over, at least for now. The Wolverines’ loss to a hot-shooting Wisconsin knocks them from the No. 1 perch they’ve held for the last month.

Taking over the top spot is Arizona. The Wildcats, now one of just five teams in Division I still unscathed, received 29 of 31 first-place votes this week. It’s their first time in the top position since Dec. 11, 2023. Iowa State, also still unbeaten, moves up a spot to No. 2 with a single first-place nod. Michigan slips to No. 3 but retains one No.-1 vote. Connecticut and Purdue continue to round out the top five.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

No. 6 Duke and No. 7 Houston also hold steady. Undefeated Vanderbilt moves up two positions to No. 8, edging ahead of Gonzaga. Climbing into the top 10 for the first time in the coaches poll is Nebraska, which needed a huge rally at Indiana over the weekend but kept its record clean.

Florida rejoins the poll at No. 20 after a one-week absence. No. 21 Clemson and No. 24 Utah State enter the rankings for the first time this season. No. 23 Iowa and No. 25 Kansas stay in the poll despite losses. Tennessee, Villanova and SMU weren’t as fortunate as they fall out of the top 25.

The NHL officially announced the Buffalo Sabres will host the 2026 draft.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, along with Sabres owner Terry Pegula and team COO Pete Guelli, made the announcement on Monday ahead of Buffalo’s clash with the Florida Panthers.

‘I look forward to both the atmosphere and significance of hosting the NHL draft in Buffalo,’ Pegula said. ‘Being able to share in that excitement with our fans and fans around the league is a unique opportunity.’

This will be the fourth time Buffalo hosts the NHL draft.

Buffalo last hosted the event in 2016. The Toronto Maple Leafs owned the first overall pick for that draft and selected center Auston Matthews.

This time around, among the top prospects who could be the first overall pick in the 2026 draft are Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. McKenna leads North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-season rankings that were also revealed on Monday. Stenberg, meanwhile, leads the International skaters.

The 2026 draft is set to be decentralized and will take place from June 26 to 27.

Instead of the traditional format in which each NHL organization has a table at the venue and works the draft in person, executives will make their decisions and draft picks from their home markets for the second straight year.

Last year’s decentralized draft in Los Angeles received mixed reviews, particularly because of how long the first round took. With the first round of the draft lasting well over three-and-a-half hours, the league is set to make changes for the upcoming event.

In 2025, when a player was drafted, they’d be ushered by Bettman into a separate room where they would chat on a virtual call with the respective team’s front office. That will be removed for this summer’s draft, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Players would also be required to go through a handful of interviews with media outlets after being selected. This time, there will only be one interviewer for the drafted players instead of two or three.

The league is also looking into changing the layout in which the prospects sit in the venue to make the walk-up to the stage shorter, Friedman reported.

These changes are supposed to make the event smoother and less time-consuming.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.